It's been one of those days...: April 2013

Five for Friday

It's not really Friday, it's Wednesday when I'm writing this but as I'm up to my chin in inks, gesso and mixed media goodness at Autumn Escape, so I've got all organised-like and set this to go ahead of time. I know. Such organisation is so unlike me.

So, FIVE for this Friday....

1. My children are not too young to conspire.

How do I know this? Because I caught them whispering at the fruit bowl as they packed their lunchboxes. "Leave those two bananas because if they go spotty Mum will have to make a banana cake". Really. Will I. And so the banana cake conspiracy was born.

2. I have a new i-obsession. It's called Free Flow.

Do not download this app. Do not sit with your important GST tax return open on your laptop screen and play this game until you realise your computer has timed out. Do not put this game down and declare that you are stuck because some 12 year old will pick it up and solve it in 3 seconds.

3. Car batteries are not meant to ooze pretty blue crystals.

Yea so apparently the picture below isn't right. So when most of Pukekohe was yelling "Ford!" or "Holden!" at the top of their lungs and waving chequered flags during fast car fever that took over the whole town last weekend, this Ford was not going anywhere.

Pretty, yes. Highly acidic and eaten through the entire battery terminal? Yes. Did I learn to check my car essentials more often? Yes.

4. I have a lounge.

We have a huge lounge. I'm not into clutter so there isn't much in it usually. But this past 3 months has seen boxes for Autumn Escape grow so plentiful that we had a walking track inbetween the boxes to the TV to turn it on and off.

I'm happy to report that now everything has been shipped to Autumn Escape, that I have a lounge floor again. Little things that make me happy.

5. I still scrapbook.

Someone asked me that the other day. "Do you still scrapbook?". Why yes. Here is one of my latest creations - well, a sneak of it - those at Autumn Escape may very well be making a page just like it about *looking at watch on wrist* now.

Here's hoping your weekend is awesome.

I'll be having the best time with 130 of my favourite ladies in one of the prettiest places in New Zealand. Autumn Escape is happening now so is pretty much over for the year but if you missed out on that, why not join us for the Prima ArtVenture in September? Same thing, more teachers, fully supported by Prima. Sounds awful doesn't it? I wish you could hear the sarcasm in my voice.

(BTW we'll be updated #AEretreats and other related hashtags on Instagram as much as we can over the weekend, follow us there for the weekend to see the fun happening!)

Laters.

Posted at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

A Shabby Chic kind of a tag...

Recently I was given an assignment to create a mixed media tag for the Prima Blog. I love creating with flowers, gesso and coloured mists, you’ve seen me do a lot of that in my work recently, but I decided it might be fun to do it in a ‘white’ or a ‘pastel’ mixed media kinda way. And so I got creating.

Any excuse to get out the paper and paint, right?

Enjoy your week,

laters

Posted at 03:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Unwritten.

I was going to be a writer 'when I grew up'. That or a florist, I've mentioned it before. It's kind of ironic that I've ended up creating scrapbooking pages for a living, in a way it combines my love of both.

But although I don't update my blog as often as I should, or create scrapbook pages as much as I should, I'm constantly 'writing' in my head. I'm constantly thinking of things I can write about on my blog, in my pages, in my Project Life, all of those things.

These lyrics, looked for and saved about 6 years ago, were one of these instances. I heard them, loved them and knew one day I wanted to use them. When I was contacted to be a guest designer for PaperHaus magazine, I found a pic I loved and it seemed perfect to use these lyrics. Even after 6 years.

I love the idea that our future is unwritten. We can sculpt it the way we want, we can be anything we want as long as we genuinely try and discard the things that are holding us back.

The full Paperhaus Blog article can be seen here, or go make a cuppa and settle in to read their 121 page Spring Edition of the magazine - all online and all gorgeous. A fabulous online resource. Treat yourself.

Laters.

Posted at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: Blog, Guest Designer, Nic Howard, Page, Paperhaus, Prima, Scrapbook

Five for Friday

I missed the Five for Friday last week. This wasn't because there was no Friday, because clearly there was, it was because I was too busy looking for the Easter Egg my husband bought for me. I'm still looking. Which leads me to believe either a) he hid it really well or b) there is no easter egg. You decide.

Things I discovered during the last week:

1. If you really, really, don't want to win a raffle, don't say "I hope I don't win this" as you hand over $1 and sign your name against a ticket. Yes. First prize winner. No. I didn't eat it. Not all of it anyway. I do suspect it is the reason my husband didn't buy me an easter egg though. Poor confused man hears me talking about how a basket full of chocolate is the last thing I need and then in the next breath I ask where my freakin easter is.

Glad I'm not a guy. Girls are so confusing.

The dairy milk one did infact have my name on it. As much as I didn't want to eat it, I felt I had to. You know, to be polite. ;)

2. Clever investments pay off. We saved for these gloves and pads. Jacob is into his boxing, I do a little bit of boxing and this gear isn't cheap. I wasn't sure whether to invest but I'm glad I did because the whole family is loving it.

Do you like my Abs? Ok so if you thought you were going to see a pic of my rock-hard abdominals *coughcoughsarcasm*, you were wrong - this is my Abs, Abby. You know. Abs is short for Abby. Anyway. If you've not boxed before, it's seriously one of the best upper body workouts ever.

I especially love this pic below - the one where we can all quite clearly see Abby thinking "Oh my goodness I could totally smash Jacob right now and claim it was a boxing move gone wrong"

Jacob's on to it though - he defended well.

3. Instagram is massive. And I mean #massive. I'm just figuring it out. I didn't realise how massive it was. It's like a whole 'nother facebook but with pics. It's another online thing to suck time and make you wish your house was tidier, your body thinner and your food yummier. And it has hash-tags. At first I was skeptical. I avoided instagram for a long time but you soon realise it becomes almost a neccessity because of it's marketing potential. And I'm down with the hash-tag thing now, I totally know what I'm doing #sarcasm #Idontreallyhaveanyidea #mykidshelpalot.

For those of you that want to visit me on Instragram, my user name is NicHowardNZ. I'm currently working my way through a MotivateMe 30 day health/fitness pictorial challenge on there. Throwing myself in the deep end is one way to learn instagram. #learningfast

On a side note - my kids now 'hashtag' in conversations. Seriously. Picture this - world war 3 in the back of the car between the kids on the way home from somewhere. Out of the middle of it comes a voice "hashtag family feud". Seriously?

I'm in this photo collage twice, BTW... not a rock-hard Ab in sight though. Actually considering the weight I'm holding with my legs, there might be. Hiding. Somewhere.

4. We have some of the best teachers. Right here. Downunder.

The reaction to the release of our September event Prima ArtVenture teachers was humbling really. We really do have some of the best teachers right here in little old NZ and Australia. Visit here to see the teachers and a little bio about each of them.

And I totally forgive the person that emailed me and said "Oh my GOODNESS I hope you won't be offended when I don't take any of your classes, Nic, because Janine Kocz-howeveryouspellit and Louise Nelson are coming to NEW ZEALAND!!!".

it's ok. I understand. #sigh

5. Anyone can do the Harlem Shake. And it's even funnier when you know the people involved. I have spent time with these people and it cracks me up seeing them do this stuff. I even see the guy I've been organising Prima ArtVenture with. He's cute in a hardhat. I wonder if I could convince 130 ladies at a retreat to do this anytime soon?

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